Who are called household members now?

The word "household" in many people cause conflicting feelings. It is both familiar and unfamiliar. It can be noted that in the singular, the word is not used practically, but only in the plural. That is why a logical question arises: who is called the household?

If you ask this question to people, most of them associate it with the family, with those who live under the same roof. This is both a correct and incorrect answer to the question of who is called household.

Obsolete word

This word can hardly be called modern. In our vocabulary it is not often found. Everyone understands its meaning, but practically does not use it in everyday conversations.

Previously, there were no questions, who are called household members, and the word enjoyed greater relevance. They used it often to provide hospitality, inviting "children and households" to visit. Then this word implied the servants - those people who live directly in the owners' house on the rights of family members, but they are not directly themselves. The same word was characterized by the hangers-on and prizhivalov, which could often be found in well-to-do homes.

Modern meaning

Now this word has lost some of its original meaning. If it is used in the lexicon, which is quite rare. Basically, those who are called household members are also called family members, although this is incorrect from the point of view of correct interpretation.

Homemakers are freeloaders, distant relatives or prizhivaly, who live at the expense of the owners of the house. Now this can be found very rarely. They were called household members and servants, who permanently live with their masters. Servants in our time are not often met. They are exclusively among the rich layers of the population, and even then, they come most often of necessity.

The word "household" has long since come out of our daily vocabulary. This is explained quite simply: the world and people are changing, the need for servants disappears, which means that the word is no longer in demand.

Interpretation in dictionaries

The dictionary of Ozhegov marks this word as obsolete. Answering the question, who are such household members, he says that these are people who live with someone on the rights of a family member, that is, housekeepers, nannies, tutors.

Dictionary Dal gives an explanation of this word somewhat differently. He argues that this is exclusively servants or employees who were brought up directly in the house.